Displacement systems are used by port machinery and equipment which move on railroads. The displacement system of a machine is responsible for its movement. The mentioned displacement system is made of displacement trucks and their rocker arms. Displacement trucks are specifically fitted with wheelsets made of wheels and axles, supported by the truck box.
The wheelset is fully comprised by an axle and two displacement wheels, being both elements concentric to a same central axis of reference. The wheels are fixed to the longitudinal axle near the ends, each one cooperating with one of the axle ends.
The wheels are fixed to the axle by means of fixing elements, ensuring that, by rotating the axle, the wheels are rotated as well. Thus, the machine performs its displacement along the rails.
The displacement wheels comprise a wheel body and two ribs, each rib associated permanently with one of the lateral ends of the wheel body. The radial face of the wheel body is configured to be kept in contact with the upper surface of the rails, while the lateral ribs are configured to keep the wheel aligned, with one of its side faces always in contact with the side face of the rails.
When performing the displacement movement, the wheels are under constant friction due to their direct contact with the rails, causing its wearing and the need for regular maintenance. The maintenance basically consists of exchanges and repairs of wheelset wheels, and the wheel rib is the most worn out element during movement of the machine.
Such a wheel, in technique status, is made in a massive way, so that the wheel rib and the body are integrally formed into a single piece of metal. Therefore, when the rib is worn out, it is necessary to change the entire wheel. This complete exchange of wheel is a waste material, since, as mentioned above, the wearing occurs more often only in the ribs.
Furthermore, in technique status, to perform this maintenance it is necessary to remove all of the wheelset of the displacement system, thus requiring great effort for operators and long run of this operation.
Thus, the technique status does not have a wheel which allows rapid maintenance without removal of the displacement system wheelset. However, the technique status does not have a wheel which allows to change only the rib, avoiding the waste of its full disposal.